Adjustable Ceiling Fire Sprinkler Head

Abstract

A vertical adjustable drop nipple consisting of a vertical drop pipe having a through port extending through its bottommost portion. A flange extends radially outwardly from adjacent the bottom of said vertical drop pipe. A tapped vertical opening extends through the pipe flange. A vertical nipple has its uppermost portion slideable in the through port of the vertical drop pipe. A flange extends radially outwardly from adjacent the bottom of the nipple. A bolt clearance vertical hole, in registry with the tapped opening, extends through the nipple flange. A bolt extends through the bolt clearance hole with the upper portion of the bolt in threaded engagement with the tapped opening. The head of the bolt is beneath the nipple flange. By rotating the bolt the vertical position of the nipple can be varied. After the movable nipple is positioned at a selected height, a sprinkler head is attached thereto.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Adjustable support for a fire protection ceiling sprinkler head.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In order to protect a building from spread of fire, sprinkler systems are installed in the building during construction. Basically there are two types of sprinkler systems which are used commercially. Each type of sprinkler system includes short vertical drop pipes which are connected to horizontally extending distribution pipes located between the ceiling and the next higher floor or the roof.

One type of sprinkler system is known as a "wet" system and in this type of system the distribution pipes and vertical drop pipes are filled with water under pressure when the system is idle. A sensing means is provided which usually consists of a heat sensitive release element adjacent each sprinkler head with each sprinkler head being in fluid communication with and attached to a vertical drop pipe. Upon a certain temperature being sensed by the sensing means, a seal is broken and the water in the system immediately discharges via the vertical drop pipes through the attached sprinkler heads.

The second type of sprinkler system is known as a "dry" system and in this system the distribution pipes and the vertical drop pipes contain air at above atmospheric pressure when the system is idle. A seal is in fluid communication with each vertical drop pipe and is broken upon sensing a predetermined temperature. Pressure sensing means is provided upstream of the seals in a distribution pipe. When a seal is broken, there is a reduction of pressure sensed by the pressure sensing means which causes water to flow through the distribution pipes and via the vertical drop pipes through the sprinkler head or heads associated with the broken seal or seals.

With both types of systems, the sprinkler head is installed after the ceiling is finished. Very frequently the sprinkler heads must be adjusted so as to be properly located with respect to the ceiling since often the ceiling at the heads, when completed, is not at its planned height.

The prior art recognized this problem and provided vertically adjustable drop nipples for the sprinkler heads. However, there were certain drawbacks with prior art adjustable drop nipples. One of these drawbacks was that it was difficult to manipulate the adjusting means which controlled the height of the sprinkler head. Another drawback with cerain adjustable drop nipples was that the mechanism for enabling the height of the sprinkler head to be adjusted was fairly complicated and expensive to make.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

1. Purposes of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved vertically adjustable drop nipple for a fire protection sprinkler system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drop nipple of the character described which can be easily adjusted.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a drop nipple of the character described which can be used in a wet or dry type fire protection sprinkler system.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a drop nipple of the character described which can be economically made.

Other objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

2. Brief Description of the Invention

According to the present invention, the foregoing as well as other objects are achieved by having a movable drop nipple constituting a vertical drop pipe which telescopically receives a vertical nipple. The vertical drop pipe includes a vertical through port at its bottommost portion in which the nipple is slideable. A flange extends radially outwardly from adjacent the bottom portion of said vertical drop pipe. A tapped vertical opening extends through said flange.

The movable nipple has an upper portion extending through the through port of said vertical drop pipe. Extending radially outwardly from adjacent the bottom of said movable nipple is a flange which includes a bolt clearance hole that is in vertical registry with the tapped opening in the drop pipe flange. A bolt is positioned so that its head is beneath the bottom surface of the nipple flange. The shank of the bolt extends through the bolt clearance hole and the upper portion of said bolt is threadedly engaged in the tapped opening in the drop pipe flange.

The bottom interior portion of the nipple is threaded. A sprinkler head is attached to a hollow male threaded tube which can be screwed into the female threads of the nipple.

In use, the vertical drop pipe and movable nipple are located in the space between the ceiling and the next higher floor or the roof. A hole is provided in the ceiling below the movable drop nipple.

If it is desired to adjust the length of the movable drop nipple so that the sprinkler head is at a selected height below the ceiling when attched thereto, the tip of a tool, e.g., a screwdriver or socket wrench is passed through the hole in the ceiling and engaged with the bolt head. The tool is rotated, turning the bolt so that the movable drop nipple is raised or lowered as required. The tube is then screwed into the threads at the bottom of the movable nipple.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the adjustable drop nipple hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view, partially broken, of an adjustable drop nipple according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the drop nipple shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the drawings a drop nipple 10 embodying the present invention is shown which includes a vertical drop pipe 12 and a vertical nipple 14. Drop nipple 10 is located above the ceiling 13 and beneath the next higher floor or the roof if there is no higher floor.

Vertical drop pipe 12 has a hollow interior and is threaded internally at its upper end. A conduit is screwed into the upper end of vertical drop pipe 12 to place the same in fluid communication with a horizontally extending distribution pipe (not shown). A through port 18 having a constant cross-sectional configuration is located at the bottom end of vertical drop pipe 12. O-rings 20 and 22 are disposed in annular grooves in through port 18 for a purpose that will soon be readily apparent.

Extending radially outwardly from adjacent the bottom end of vertical drop pipe 12 is a flange 24 which includes a tapped vertical opening 26 that extends completely therethrough.

Nipple 14 extends through through port 18 and is telescopically received in the interior of vertical drop pipe 12. O-rings 20 and 22 form a sliding gland, i.e., seal, with nipple 14 to permit relative translatory leak-proof movement between nipple 14 and vertical drop pipe 12. Preferably this sliding sealing fit is facilitated by providing nipple 14 with a smooth exterior surface. The bottom end of nipple 14 is tapped. Extending radially outwardly from adjacent the bottom end of nipple 14 is a flange 30. Extending through flange 30 is a bolt clearance hole 32 which is in vertical registry with tapped opening 26.

A bolt 34 is positioned with its head down, its shank extending through bolt clearance hole 32 and its upper end in threaded engagement with tapped opening 26. The head of the bolt is shaped for cooperative engagement with the driving tip of a rod shaped tool. Typical shapes are a diametral slot for engagement with a blade tip of a standard screwdriver, cross slots for engagement with the tip of a Phillips screwdriver, a polygonal well for engagement with the tip of an Allen screwdriver and a polygonal head for engagement with a socket tip screwdriver.

When the ceiling of the building in which the sprinkler is to be utilized is completed, a hole 36 is left directly beneath drop pipe 10. Hole 36 is large enough to provide admittance by a screwdriver to the head of bolt 34. If it is necessary to elevate nipple 14 so that when the sprinkler head is attached thereto, it will be at the desired height flush with the ceiling, bolt 34 is rotated clockwise (assuming bolt 34 to have a right-hand screw thread) by use of a cooperating screwdriver so as to move upwardly relative to vertical drop pipe 12. Nipple 14 is moved upwardly as the bolt head lifts flange 30. If it is desired to lower the nipple 14, bolt 34 is rotated counterclockwise so as to move downwardly relative to stationary vertical pipe 12. Nipple 14 is pulled down manually until flange 30 abuts the head of bolt 34. The seal provided by the O-rings permits this axial adjustment without danger of leakage.

After the drop nipple is suitably adjusted, an escutcheon 38 is positioned to cover the hole 33 in the ceiling. The upper end of a sprinkler head 39 is screwed onto a short male nipple 40 the upper end of which extends through the central opening of the escutcheon and into engagement with the threads at the lower end of nipple 14.

It is to be appreciated that the present invention can be used with wet or dry systems and enables a sprinkler head to be positioned at a selected height in a room with a minimum of effort. Moreover the head can be readjusted with the system pressurized and without danger of nipple 14 being ejected from drop pipe 12. To do this the escutcheon must be of the split type. The presence of a head on bolt 34 prevents nipple 14 from being driven out of drop pipe 12 by the pressure in the system while the adjustment is being made as it would in the arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,316.

It thus will be seen that there is provided an adjustable ceiling fire sprinkler head which achieves the various objects of the invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

Having thus described the invention there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. An adjustable system for hanging a sprinkler head flush with a ceiling having a hole therein, said system comprising a vertical drop pipe, said vertical drop pipe having a radially outwardly extending flange adjacent the bottom thereof, a tapped vertical opening extending through said pipe flange, a vertical through port extending through the bottom end of said vertical drop pipe, a movable vertical nipple, said nipple including an upper end slideably movable through the through port of said vertical drop pipe for telescopic engagement with said pipe, a radially outwardly extending flange adjacent the bottom of said nipple, a bolt clearance vertical hole extending through said nipple flange in vertical registry with said tapped opening, a bolt having a shank extending through the bolt clearance hole in the nipple flange and including a threaded portion in threaded engagement with the tapped opening in the pipe flange, said bolt head being accessible from below the ceiling through the hole on the ceiling, said pipe and nipple being locatable above the hole on the ceilng in alignment therewith, said nipple being engageable with means securing the sprinkler head with the bottom end of the nipple, said bolt head being configured for cooperative turning engagement with a screwdriver whereby the height of the sprinkler head can be adjusted from below a finished ceiling, said drop pipe and nipple having cooperative sealing means to prevent escape of fluid from between said nipple and pipe.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the sealing means comprises O-rings located in annular grooves in said through port and bearing against said nipple.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein an escutcheon is provided to cover the portion of the ceiling hole around the sprinkler head securing means.